Off the Field

Off the Field

Nittany Lion Club members again demonstrated why Penn State has one of the nation’s most passionate and loyal fan bases by contributing $16.6 million in annual giving during the 2014-15 academic year to greatly assist Nittany Lion student-athletes and the nationally recognized 31-sport program.

The Final Four for men’s college basketball is one of the greatest sporting spectacles in America. For years I had talked with my father, Keith, about one day going. Every year come March Madness time I would tell him “one of these years.” That opportunity came this year when nine great young men and I received an award on behalf of the National Association of Basketball Coaches and NCAA corporate sponsor Allstate.

Nearly 70 Penn State student-athletes have received Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Awards for the 2014-15 academic year. The total of 69 is the school’s second-highest and just shy of last year’s record total.

Penn State coaches and student-athletes in 2014-15 produced another outstanding year, featuring school-record accomplishments in the classroom and adding to its impressive list of national and conference championships.

The 13th Annual Penn State Uplifting Athletes "Lift For Life" was a tremendous success on Saturday, raising $120,000 in 2015 to benefit the Kidney Cancer Association. The 13-year total for “Lift for Life” is now more than $1.12 million.

Now in its 12th year, Lift for Life continues its efforts to fight kidney cancer on July 11 at the Penn State Lacrosse Field. The charity has raised more than $1 million to date for the Kidney Cancer Association.

Nittany Lion wrestling national champion Matt Brown (West Valley City, Utah) has been named as the 2014-15 Capital One Division I Academic All-America of the Year, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Recently graduated Penn State field hockey player Laura Gebhart (Mount Joy, Pa.) was elected to the 2015 Capital One Academic All-America Division I Women’s At-Large First Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), it was announced Thursday morning.

The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team continues to haul in the post-season academic honors, this time with the announcement of the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) National All-Academic first team. Four members of head coach Cael Sanderson's squad have been named to the prestigious team, including two All-Americans.

The Penn State Chapter of Uplifting Athletes is hosting "A Field Day Inspired by Lift for Life" on Saturday, June 13 from 10 a.m.-noon at Circleville Park in State College. Kids 12 and under are invited to register for the Field Day for a $15 fee, which benefits Penn State's Uplifting Athletes Chapter.

The Penn State football team produced a record-setting academic performance during the 2015 spring semester with 51 squad members earning at least a 3.0 grade-point average. This marks the first time in program history that the Nittany Lions have had more than 50 student-athletes with a 3.0 or better in the spring semester.